How do you split the electricity bill between room tenants?
Split the bill by nights: each tenant pays the share of the bill that matches their share of all tenants' nights combined. A tenant who moved in mid-month pays less. Enter the bill total and each person's nights; shares are rounded to the sen and always add up exactly to the bill.
How to split
- Room 1, 30 nights
- RM 133.34
- Room 2, 30 nights
- RM 133.33
- Room 3, 12 nights
- RM 53.33
- Total
- RM 320.00
How does this calculator work?
One person's share = bill total x that person's nights divided by everyone's total nights. Each share is rounded down to the sen, and the leftover sen are given one at a time to the shares closest to rounding up, so the total matches the bill.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it fairer to split by nights or equally?
- By nights is fairer when tenants move in or out partway through the billing period, because someone who stayed half the month pays half a share. Equal shares suit a period when everyone stayed throughout.
- Why is one share a sen more?
- A bill cannot always be divided exactly to the sen. The sen left over after rounding go to the shares closest to rounding up, so all the shares add up to the bill, not less or more.
- What about different air-conditioning use in each room?
- The by-nights method assumes everyone uses the same amount each night. If each room has its own sub-meter, those meter readings are more accurate than any split.
- Is the data I enter stored?
- No. The calculation happens in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.
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